The morning light never reached inside the compound. The windows were tinted black, the walls too thick to let the outside world in. Luna woke to the shrill buzz of the alarm, her body stiff, bruised, and reluctant to rise.
She sat up slowly, the weight of Kai's words from last night pressing harder than any of her injuries. First mission. No more training wheels.
Her hands shook as she pulled on her black training gear. Every piece of clothing felt like armor she didn't believe she deserved to wear. The girl staring back from the cracked mirror above her sink was a stranger—her eyes too sharp, her jaw clenched too tightly.
A voice whispered at the back of her mind: You're not ready. You'll fail. And when you do, they'll throw you away, just like everyone else did.
She gripped the sink until her knuckles turned white. "Shut up," she muttered under her breath. "Shut up."
A knock on the door startled her.
"It's me," Jax's voice came, low and urgent.
Luna hesitated before opening the door. He stepped inside quickly, scanning the hallway before shutting it behind him. His presence always seemed to shift the air around her—he carried warmth even in this cold place, but today his expression was tight, troubled.
"You don't look ready," he said, studying her face.
"I am," she lied, forcing her voice steady.
"No, you're not." Jax's tone was sharper than usual, edged with frustration. "You're terrified. I can see it in your eyes. Kai's pushing you into this too soon."
Luna's throat tightened. She wanted to deny it, but her lips wouldn't move.
Jax stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Listen to me. Missions aren't training. Out there, hesitation will get you killed. Fear will get you killed. And Kai—" He broke off, shaking his head. "He won't care if you don't come back."
The words hit her like a punch. She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. "So what do you want me to do? Run? Hide?"
"No," he said firmly, his gaze locking with hers. "I want you to prepare. Not the way Kai tells you. The way that will keep you alive."
He pulled something from his jacket pocket—a small, silver chain with a pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It was old, scratched, but polished enough to gleam faintly under the fluorescent light.
"This was my sister's," Jax said quietly. "She… didn't survive her first mission. I couldn't stop it. But I swore I'd never let anyone else go in unprepared." He pressed the chain into Luna's hand. "Keep it with you. Not as a charm. As a reminder—don't let fear make your choices for you."
Luna stared down at the pendant, her fingers curling around it tightly. Warmth spread through her chest, and for the first time in weeks, she felt something other than numbness.
"Jax…" Her voice cracked. She wanted to thank him, but the words stuck. Instead, she whispered, "Why are you helping me?"
His expression softened, but his eyes carried a shadow. "Because I know what it's like to feel like you're not enough. To think no matter what you do, you'll always fall short. But I also know it's a lie. You're stronger than you realize, Luna. You just don't believe it yet."
Her breath caught. For a moment, she thought she might cry. She hadn't let herself cry in weeks.
But before she could respond, the intercom buzzed overhead. Kai's voice filled the room, cold and commanding.
"Luna. Report to the briefing room. Now."
The sound jolted her back into the present. She shoved the pendant into her pocket and straightened. Her mask slid back into place.
Jax's jaw tightened. "Be careful," he murmured.
She nodded, then turned toward the door. But as her hand touched the knob, Jax added quietly, "Don't let him break what's left of you. Promise me."
Luna froze, her back to him. The words burrowed deep, a plea she wasn't sure she could keep. Without answering, she walked out.
---
The briefing room was dim, lit only by the glow of the monitors. Kai stood at the front, his arms crossed, a file in his hand. His eyes flicked to her as she entered, unreadable as always.
"You're late," he said coolly.
"I came as fast as I could," Luna replied.
"Excuses waste time." He dropped the file on the table in front of her. "This is your target. Observe, report, and if necessary—eliminate. Simple. Clean. No mistakes."
Luna opened the file. A man's photo stared back at her, smiling faintly in a way that made her stomach twist. He didn't look dangerous. He looked ordinary. Which made it worse.
"What did he do?" she asked before she could stop herself.
Kai's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't matter. Don't waste your energy on morals. Focus on the task."
Her pulse quickened. She wasn't ready. Every fiber of her being screamed it. But she clenched her fists, forcing her voice steady. "Understood."
Kai studied her for a long moment, as if measuring her worth. Then he leaned in slightly, his voice low. "This is where we find out what you're made of, Luna. Weapons can be sharp. But only the ones that don't break become useful."
His words wrapped around her like chains.
She left the room with the file clutched in her hand, her heart pounding, her mind swirling with fear and doubt. The pendant in her pocket pressed against her palm, a silent weight reminding her of Jax's warning.
Tonight, she would walk into the world outside these walls. Tonight, she would face her first mission.
And tonight, she would find out if she was still Luna… or if she was becoming something else entirely.